A famous English writer once said, “To be or not to be? That is the question.” But in the world of weddings, the more pressing question is: “To do or not to do?” We sat down with local wedding planners to pick their brains about all the pros and cons of the more controversial wedding decisions and whether to do (or not to do) them.

Kimberly Rhodes of Hitched Events is back this week to give us a few more thoughts.

Having a “big” wedding

• Pros: Big weddings certainly have a certain energy to them! And when your theme is “the more the merrier,” you don’t have to spend lots of energy trimming the guest list or worrying about hurting people’s feelings who might be on the chopping block.
• Cons: Big weddings certainly need a big budget in order to support them! With so many costs that are variable based on the guest count—such as food, drinks, stationery, and even slices of cake—the more people that are in attendance, the more it’s going to cost. Also, with large weddings, it’s often hard to see and say hello to all your guests.

Taking a break between the wedding and the reception

• Pros: For couples that aren’t doing a “first look” or choosing to not see each other before the ceremony, a break before the reception allows for plenty of time to take photos after the ceremony without being rushed to get to the reception.
• Cons: A break before the reception can be awkward for guests who have down time between the two events. Unfortunately, some may choose to not attend the ceremony and just head to the reception instead.

Giving a plus one to all non-married guests

• Pros: Allowing plus ones can make single guests feel more comfortable, especially if they don’t know a lot of other people in attendance. It’s a nice gesture to allow guests to bring a date for an evening out.
• Cons: Adding plus ones can dramatically affect your wedding costs, as it can increase your overall guest count significantly. Plus, when you invite plus ones, you run the risk of having a large group of wedding guests you have absolutely no relationship with.

Having a Photo Booth

• Pros: A photo booth can be a fun way to capture additional photos of guests in a more casual way, as well as give guests an activity to take part in aside from dinner and dancing.
• Cons: A photobooth can be a little overdone. If your guests have been to many weddings over the years, they surely have their fair share photo booth pics!